Garter structure for panty girdle



Feb. 24, ,1970 I c. 1.. cuozzl 3,

GARTER STRUCTURE FOR PANTY GIRDLE Filed Feb. 24, 1969 J/VvE/vrae GOA/c5770 l Cuazz/ United States Patent O 3,496,944 GARTER STRUCTURE FOR PANTY GIRDLE Concetta L. Cuozzi, Yorktown Heights, N.Y., assignor to Munsingwear, Inc., Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 24, 1969, Ser. No. 801,471 Int. Cl. 41c 1/00 US. Cl. 128-628 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The panty girdle incorporating the present invention has latex or equivalent friction material deposited along the inside of the legs for purposes of holding panty hose or stockings in place. The friction material extends circularly in paralleling sinuous or chevron shaped rows. Maximum resistance to slippage is maintained while the configuration of the body changes as it assumes various postures.

FIELD OF INVENTION This invention relates to panty girdles, and particularly to panty girdles designed to be worn with close-fittlng outer garments. Conventional hose grippers or garter fasteners cannot be used since they would show through the outer garments. This invention relates to panty girdles of the type in which latex or other friction material is deposited along the inside of the girdle legs to be used in place of conventional grippers or fasteners.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Known panty girdles have continuous or interrupted bands of latex or equivalent friction material extending circularly on the inside surfaces of the girdle legs. The latex material is quite effective in resisting slippage of stockings or panty hose in a circumferential direction, but not particularly effective in resisting slippage in a longitudinal direction. The reason for this is that the latex material is much more effective in resisting slippage in a direction parallel to the latex run than it is in resisting slippage in a direction transverse to the latex run. While there are circumferential stresses tending to cause circumferential slippage as the leg muscles flex, the primary stresses tending to cause slippage extend longitudinally of the body and thus transverse to the latex run. These primary longitudinal stresses occur when the wearer bends over, when the wearer assumes a sitting position, and even when the wearer walks.

In order to provide effective resistance to slippage in all directions, I provide bands that extend sinuously, or substantially as a repeated chevron design. Whatever the direction of force or stress tending to cause slippage, at least half of the latex run parallels a substantial component of that force. Moreover, the sinuous form of the band provides an increased total length per band and a corresponding increase in overall gripping capability.

This invention possesses many other advantages and has other objects which may be made more clearly apparent from a consideration of one embodiment of the invention. For this purpose, there is shown a form in the drawings accompanying and forming a part of the present specification, and which drawings are to scale. This form will now be described in detail illustrating the general principles of the invention; but it is to be understood that this detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of this invention is best defined by the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a three-quarter pictorial view of a panty girdle in place on the bod of the user.

3,496,944 Patented Feb. 24, 1970 DETAILED DESCRIPTION The girdle 10 shown in FIG. 1 is of the panty form, there being two leg portions 12 and 14 joined toa central sheath portion 16. Extending along the inside of each of the leg portions are bands of latex or other equivalent friction material 18 (FIG. 2). As shown in FIG. 2 the bands are generally rounded on the distal side and flattened on the proximal side. The bands extend circumferentially but are formed substantially sinuously or as a repeated chevron or zig-zag design. The cross-sectional configuration of the bands is substantially uniform. The bands have a width and height of approximately and are preferably spaced from each other by an amount at last equal to that dimension to allow the fabric of the hose or panty hose to project between the bands to be held by a wrap-around effect. The bands 18 are designed to grip the upper ends of stockings 20 and 22 or corresponding portions of panty hose for purposes of maintaining them in place on the body of the user.

The friction bands 18 are extruded on the piece goods prior to the piece goods being cut, sewn and joined to form the leg portions 12 and 14. The fabric forming the leg portions 12 and 14 is preferably reticulated or sufficiently loosely woven or loosely knitted so that the latex to some degree interlocks the fabric elements. Two-way stretch lace or net material is preferably used. The extrusion head may be moved from side to side as the piece goods pass under the head.

The leg portions 12 and 14 are attached to circular strips 24 and 26 of stretch yarn material. This stretch yarn material largely isolates from the leg portions substantial longitudinal stresses imposed on the sheath portion 16 and as indicated by the double-headed arrow 28 in FIG. 1.

The sinuous or chevron shape of the bands 18 ensures that the hose 2t] and 22 or corresponding portions of panty hose are held against slippage whether the stresses tending to cause slippage act circumferentially, longitudinally or between these extremes. If the force acts in the direction of the arrow 30 (FIG. 4), substantial components of that force, indicated by arrows 32 and 34, extend parallel to substantial parts of the run of the latex bands 18 and slippage is restrained. If the stress occurs in a circumferential direction as indicated by the doubleheaded arrow 36, that stress similarly has substantial components paralleling the arrows 32 and 34. If stresses exist in the inclined direction of the arrows 32 or 34, then again parts of the runs of the latex bands 18 extend parallel thereto. In any event, substantial portions of the sinuous, chevron shaped or zig-zag bands 18 extend parallel to the forces themselves or substantial components thereof, whereby slippage is resisted.

FIG. 4 illustrates the expanded configuration of the latex bands 18 when the garment is in place upon the body of the user. Due to the zig-zag configuration, the bands readily follow the changing curvature of the leg as it flexes, all without slippage on the leg.

I claim:

1. A panty girdle having a pair of leg portions formed of fabric resiliently conformable to the configuration of the leg of the wearer during various conditions of leg fiexure and movement; latex or equivalent resilient friction material attached to the inside of the leg portions of said panty girdle, and formed as a plurality of spaced bands projecting inwardly from the inside surface of said leg portions and circumferentially thereof, thereby to be positioned to engage the hose or corresponding portions of panty hose Worn by the wearer a substantial number of said bands extending correspondingly sinuously to form a repeated chevron-like design with said bands substantially equally spaced from each other whereby at least parts of said bands extend parallel to components of stresses imposed upon said leg portions whatever the direction of said stresses may be in order to resist slippage of said hose or corresponding portions of said panty hose.

2. The panty girdle as set forth in claim 1 in which said bands are substantially rounded on their distal side and flattened on their proximal side, and spaced from each other by an amount at least equal to the transverse dimension of said bands to allow the fabric of the hose or panty hose to project between adjacent bands to be held thereby by a wrap-around effect.

3. The panty girdle as set forth in claim 1 in which said bands are substantially rounded on their distal side and flattened on their proximal side, and spaced from each other by an amount at least equal to the transverse di- References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,775,509 9/1930 Camp 128-536 1,666,686 4/1928 Chisholm 139-421 2,514,108 7/1950 Vogt 2-240 3,249,110 5/1966 Bryan 128-519 2,638,130 5/1953 Posson 139-421 3,253,599 5/1966 Bjorn-Larsen 128-528 3,359,571 12/1967 Burke 2-224 ADELE M. EAGER, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

